-->

Pages

Friday 17 February 2012

Diabetes

Diabetes Symptoms

What are the diabetes symptoms? Early signs serve as warnings and if you can take the correct actions at that point of time, you can prevent yourself from getting diabetes or progressing to a more serious stage of diabetes. Diabetes is not a painful disease at the early stage, so people do not recognize the seriousness and dangers of it

How Do You Know If You Have Diabetes?

Here are some checklists on the possible symptoms where you can identify if you are at risk.
General Diabetes Symptoms:
  • Feel tired and fatigue
  • Lose weight without any effort
  • Feel like vomiting
  • Frequent urination especially at night
  • Numbness or a tingling sensation in your feet or hands
  • Frequent leg pain and cramps
  • Injuries take long time to heal
  • Itchy skin
  • Feel thirsty and hungry all the time
  • Blurred vision
The more you say “yes” to the above symptoms, the more you are at risk of getting diabetes. Other risk factors include family history of diabetes and overweight. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms develop very quickly over a few weeks. In type 2 diabetes, symptoms develop slowly and are not obvious. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes may go unnoticed for years until foot ulceration or blurred vision occurs.
Despite some commonly known risk factors of getting diabetes, medical scientists are unable to tell why certain people suffer from diabetes while others do not.

Diabetes Complications - What Harm the Diabetes Can Do To Your Health?

Diabetes, if not managed well, can lead to the following disease or conditions:
  • Kidney failure: High uncontrolled blood sugar can result in kidney malfunction. The kidneys lose their ability to retain sugar and protein. As a result, the urine is detected with a large amount of sugar and protein. Once the person is diagnosed with kidney failure, he or she has to undergo kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation.
  • Chances of getting heart attack, stroke increased by 4 times
  • Affect eye health and cause the damaged to the small blood vessels of the retina. As a result, it leads to glaucoma, cataracts and retinopathy.
  • Nervous system damages which can cause a “pins and needles” or tingling sensation (sometimes this serves as the early diabetes symptoms too!) in the hands and legs. Other complications include carpal tunnel, bloating, diarrhea, crippling foot deformities, and impotence.
  • Periodontal disease resulting in loss of teeth
  • High blood pressure
  • Skin disease: The person can develop brown scars over the shin of legs due to the abnormal changes in the small blood vessels.

10 Ways to Deal With Diabetes

Now you have learned about the diabetes symptoms and the dangers of it if not taken care of. The next logical question is: What if you are diagnosed with diabetes unfortunately? How are you going to deal with diabetes in your daily life? Do not panic, Here are some guidelines to help you:
  • Diet: Avoid fatty, junk, fried and preserved food. Also, eating too much of carbohydrates, protein are harmful to the body. Have more high fibre foods or whole foods instead of refined food. Learn more about diet for diabetes here.
  • Lose extra pounds: Try to lose some weights if you are obese or overweight.
  • Exercise: Follow a scheduled routine to exercise and be active. It is good to check with your doctor before you do any strenuous exercise.
  • Supplements: Take natural supplements (for instance, mangosteen juice supplement and herbal nutrition) in addition to your regular diet and exercise can help to combat diabetes. Conduct your own research and consult with your licensed health care professionals if you decide to start any health supplement.
  • Medications: Take your prescribed medication as per instructed. Do not stop the medications until your doctor has certified that you are well.
  • Monitor your blood sugar regularly: This is important as blood sugar fluctuates based on exercise, stress, diet intake, hormonal changes and individual insulin sensitivity.
  • Avoid stress: Some distress methods include massage, yoga, meditation etc. Take sometimes off from the normal routine.
  • Do not skip meal: If you cannot eat your regular meal, carry some crackers, healthy snack bar along. You need calories to avoid low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).
  • Injuries and foot care: If you have any cuts or infection, attend to it immediately. Wear clean cotton which is comfortable and not skin irritants. Choose leather or sport shoes which are not tight fitted. Do not cut your toe nails too close to the skin and walk with barefoot to minimize the chances of getting injuries.
  • Dental care: Diabetes, when it is not properly controlled can lead to gum disease, caries and cavities. Regular brushing or flossing the teeth after every meal is important if you have high blood sugar.
In conclusion, knowing the diabetes symptoms is crucial because it is the first implication of getting diabetes. Through proper managment and lifestyle change, you can fight the disease with greater chance of success!

Useful Resources For Diabetes Symptoms and Treatment:
Diabetes Facts, Alternative Treatments of Diabetes
Diabetes information on symptoms, what causes this disease, information on complications, drug treatments and alternative treatments with natural supplements as options that can help control it.

No comments: